50 Best Sports Movies Ever

28. The Longest Yard

Year: 1974
Sport: American Football
Starring: Burt Reynolds, Eddie Albert, Ed Lauter, Michael Conrad, Harry Caesar
Director: Robert Aldrich

The Adam Sandler remake achieved commercial success, but it was the 1974 edition of The Longest Yard that first rose to prominence. The film, directed by Robert Aldrich, was a unique twist on a sports film that remains popular and viewable to this very day.

For those unfamiliar, The Longest Yard tells the story of a maniacal prison warden who opts to pit the inmates against the guards for a game of American football.

Burt Reynolds plays the lead role of Paul Crewe, with two-time Academy Award nominee Eddie Albert playing the villainous Warden Hazen. Crewe was a former professional quarterback, which pique’s Hazen’s interest as this morally corrupt game is pondered and, ultimately, produced.

The recruitment of the players may be the most rewarding part of the film, as Reynolds comedically searches for any semblance of a team.

Crewe eventually reaches a crossroads as Hazen threatens him with a severe punishment if he doesn’t throw the game.

Due to the popularity of the remake and its constant appearance in reruns on cable television, it’s safe to assume that most know the story. It’d still be worth watching the original, however, which achieved great success on the critical front.

With an Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing and a Golden Globe win for Best Comedy, The Longest Yard is a film you need to see.

Next: 27. The Bad News Bears